EURO-NMD, an ERN for Rare Neuromuscular Diseases

2026-07-22

EURO-NMD is a clinically oriented approach to the thematic grouping of neuromuscular disorders that builds on many years of networking experience in the NMD field. NMDs include a broad group of diseases with overall prevalence of 1/3500-1/2500 that represent a major cause of mortality and morbidity in children and adults. Their rarity and diversity pose specific challenges for healthcare provision and research. While individually rare, NMDs collectively affect an estimated 500,000 patients in Europe and result in life-long disabilities with significant costs for families and the healthcare system. Regional and national differences in care and incomplete implementation of standards lead to international disparities and divergent outcomes for NMD patients. NMD patients often lack timely and accurate diagnosis, and this impacts on survival and quality of life. Even patients with a condition diagnosable with existing gene tests typically wait 7 years for diagnosis – EURO-NMD aims to decrease time to diagnosis through implementation of diagnostic guidelines. A further 30% may remain without a confirmed genetic diagnosis after extensive testing. Through next-generation sequencing EURO-NMD aims to diagnose a further 15% of patients within the 5-year period. The ERN is a partner in the SOLVE-RD project that aims exactly at solving the unsolved cases and is also a partner in the EJP-RD. NMDs require a multidisciplinary team experienced in the specific clinical needs of the conditions comprising the ERN sub-groups: muscle, nerve, motor neuron, mitochondrial and neuromuscular junction diseases. During the last 2 years the working groups have collected and endorsed guidelines and standard operating procedures in collaboration with the learned societies. For the future the ERN aims to increase the teaching initiatives either through teaching courses, e-learning activities or supporting the networking of young professionals.

France

2026-02-15